1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a game system which is manipulated as entertainment in time to music.
2. Description of the Related Art
A game system manipulated as entertainment in time to music was for example disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (TOKU-KAI-HEI) No. 11-151380. In this type of game system, commands for a series of manipulations of an input apparatus are specified to a player on the game screen of a monitor in time with music which is reproduced as background music (BGM). When the player manipulates the input apparatus in accordance with the specified commands, sound effects corresponding to the manipulations are superimposed over the BGM. In addition, the player is evaluated based on the degree of accordance between the specified manipulation sequence and the actual manipulations carried out by the player.
In the musical game described above, data determining the manipulation sequence of the input apparatus is provided for each musical piece, but as the player repeatedly plays the game he or she gets accustomed to the manipulation and loses his or her interest in the game. In view of this, the player wants to change the manipulation sequence of the input apparatus as he or she desires and to arrange the sound effects allocated to the manipulations so as to suit his or her own tastes. However, the players might find it confusing to create the data by themselves and they may not be able to create the desired data.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a game system wherein it is possible to practically set performance data specifying the procedure of manipulations and the allocation of sound effects to the manipulations.
A first aspect of this invention provides a game system comprising an input apparatus which is manipulated by a player; performance data memory device which stores performance data stipulating a series of manipulations of the input apparatus arranged in correspondence with a predetermined musical piece; manipulation guide device which specifies the series of manipulations of the input apparatus arranged in correspondence with the musical piece to the player based on the performance data; the performance data comprising information which specifies timings of manipulations relating to at least one timing manipulation member provided on the input apparatus, and information which specifies at least one selection manipulation member to be manipulated in correspondence with the manipulation of the timing manipulation member from a plurality of selection manipulation members provided on the input apparatus; and editing device which edits either one of the information specifying the manipulation timing of the performance data and the information specifying the selection manipulation member independently of the other based on a command supplied by a player via the input apparatus.
According to this aspect, it is possible to edit only the specifications of a selection manipulation member to be manipulated in correspondence with the manipulation of a timing manipulation member of an input apparatus as the player wants, and conversely to edit only the timing at which the timing manipulation member is manipulated, without changing the timings which control the timing manipulation member. Therefore, an operation of editing the performance data is easier to understand than when simultaneously changing the specifications relating to the manipulation timing and selection manipulation members, whereby even a person who is not familiar with the manipulation can create performance data as he or she desires without confusion.
In a second aspect of this invention, the game system according to the first aspect further comprises edit screen display device which displays an edit screen wherein note marks corresponding to manipulations of the timing manipulation members contained in a predetermined range of the musical piece are arranged so that their relationship with the selection manipulation members to be manipulated in correspondence with manipulation of the timing manipulation members is identifiable in a predetermined direction along a time axis based on the performance data; scrolling device which changes the correspondence relationship between the musical piece and the predetermined range in response to a predetermined scrolling manipulation of the input apparatus so that an editing position set in the edit screen moves forward or backward in relation to the musical piece; and edit executing device which changes the information specifying the selection manipulation member in response to a predetermined selection setting manipulation of the input apparatus so that the correspondence relationship between a note mark displayed at the editing position of the edit screen and the selection manipulation member changes.
According to this aspect, the player can use the scrolling device to move a desired note mark to the editing position, and change the selection manipulation member corresponding to that note mark. Therefore, it is possible to change the manipulation of the selection manipulation member while confirming this on the edit screen, without changing the timing of the manipulation of the timing manipulation member.
A third aspect of this invention comprises the game system according to the second aspect, wherein the editing device comprises timing adjusting device which changes the information specifying a timing of a manipulation of the timing manipulation member so that said timing corresponding to a note mark displayed at the editing position of the edit screen changes in response to a timing adjustment manipulation of the input apparatus.
According to this aspect, the timing at which the timing manipulation member is to be manipulated can be moved forward and backward in the musical piece as the player desires. Therefore, it is possible to intentionally adjust the manipulation so as to delay or advance it as a technique of performing the music.
A fourth aspect of this invention comprises the game system according to the second or third aspects, further comprising audio output device; and sound effect data recording device in which sound effect data for reproducing a plurality of sound effects via the audio output device are stored; the performance data comprising information specifying allocations of the sound effects to each manipulation of the input apparatus; and the editing device comprising sound effect setting device which changes the information specifying the allocations of the sound effects in response to a sound effect setting manipulation of the input apparatus so that the allocations of the sound effects to manipulations corresponding to note marks displayed at the editing position of the edit screen changes.
According to this aspect, the player can change the sound effects to be generated in compliance with the manipulation of the input apparatus as he or she desires.
A fifth aspect of this invention comprises the game system according to the fourth aspect, wherein the editing device further comprises a sample display device which displays a sample screen showing a correspondence relationship between manipulation of the input apparatus stipulated by performance data set as a sample and the allocations of the sound effects; and allocation executing device which allocates sound effects displayed in the sample screen as sound effects corresponding to note marks displayed at the editing position of the edit screen.
According to this aspect, the sound effect can be efficiently allocated while consulting already existing performance data.
A sixth aspect of this invention comprises the game system according to the fifth aspect, wherein performance data being edited can be set as the sample. In this case, a sound effect which was allocated earlier can be efficiently reallocated to another position, and the like.
A seventh aspect of this invention comprises the game system according to the fifth aspect, wherein a plurality of performance data are provided for a single musical piece, and performance data different from the performance data being edited can be set as the sample. In this case, sound effects used in another musical piece can be easily allocated as sound effects for the performance data being edited, thereby increasing the flexibility of the editing operation.
An eighth aspect of this invention provides a game system comprising an input apparatus which is manipulated by a player; performance data memory device which stores performance data stipulating a series of manipulations of the input apparatus arranged in correspondence with a predetermined musical piece; manipulation guide device which specifies the series of manipulations of the input apparatus arranged in correspondence with the musical piece to the player based on the performance data; the performance data comprising information which specifies timings of manipulations relating to at least one timing manipulation member of the input apparatus, and information which specifies at least one selection manipulation member to be manipulated in correspondence with the manipulation of the timing manipulation member from a plurality of selection manipulation members of the input apparatus; edit screen display device which displays an edit screen having a display range corresponding to part of the musical piece based on the performance data; scrolling device which continuously changes the relationship between the musical piece and the display range in response to a predetermined record start manipulation of the input apparatus so that the editing position in the edit screen continuously changes forwards or backwards with respect to the musical piece; and edit recording device which detects at least one part of the manipulations of the timing manipulation members and the plurality of selection manipulation members with respect to the input apparatus while the relationship between the musical piece and the display range is being changed by the scrolling device, displays a note mark corresponding to the detected manipulation in the edit screen, and changes the performance data so that the manipulation corresponding to the note mark is stipulated in the performance data.
According to this aspect, the scrolling of the edit screen starts when a record start manipulation is carried out to the input apparatus. Then, when the timing manipulation member and selection manipulation member of the input apparatus are manipulated during scrolling, a note mark is displayed in the edit screen in accordance with the manipulation and the performance data is changed in accordance with the change in the display. Therefore, the manipulations of the input apparatus in a predetermined range of the musical piece can be efficiently edited.
A ninth aspect of this invention comprises the game system according to the eighth aspect, further comprising mode selecting device in which a timing specifying mode for specifying only the timing of manipulations of the timing manipulation member can be selected; and wherein when the timing specifying mode is selected, the edit recording device detects a manipulation of the timing manipulation member, displays a note mark corresponding to the detected manipulation in the edit screen, and changes the information specifying the timing of the performance data so that the manipulation corresponding to the note mark is stipulated by the performance data.
According to this aspect, it is possible to prevent the editing process from becoming complex and to improve the efficiency of the specification of the manipulation timing by making it possible to continuously specify only the manipulation timing of the timing manipulation member, thereby.
A tenth aspect of this invention comprises the game system according to the eighth aspect, further comprising mode selecting device in which a timing specifying mode for specifying only the timing of manipulations of the timing manipulation member can be selected; and wherein when the timing specifying mode is selected, the edit recording device detects a manipulation of the timing manipulation member, displays a note mark corresponding to the detected manipulation in the edit screen in correspondence with a specific selection manipulation member, and changes the information specifying the timing and the information specifying the selection manipulation member of the performance data so that the manipulation corresponding to the note mark is stipulated in the performance data as a manipulation of the timing manipulation member in correspondence with the manipulation of the specific selection manipulation member.
According to this aspect, it is possible to suspend the specification of the selection manipulation member and continuously specify temporarily only the manipulation timing of the timing manipulation member, thereby preventing the editing process from becoming complex and improving the efficiency of the specification of the manipulation timing, as in the ninth aspect. Since the edit screen provisionally displays the specified manipulation timings so as to relate to the specific selection manipulation member, the status of the specification of the manipulation timing can be easily confirmed.
An eleventh aspect of this invention comprises the game system according to one of the eighth to tenth aspects, further comprising mode selecting device in which a selection change mode for changing a specification of the selection manipulation member stipulated in performance data being edited can be selected; and wherein the edit screen display device displays note marks in correspondence with manipulations of the timing manipulation members contained in the display range of the musical piece in a predetermined direction along the time axis based on the performance data being edited, so that the relationship between the note marks and the selection manipulation members to be manipulated in correspondence with manipulations of the timing manipulation member is identifiable; and when the selection change mode is selected, the edit recording device detects a manipulation of the selection manipulation member, changes the relationship between the selection manipulation member and the note mark displayed at the editing position in the edit screen at the point when the manipulation is detected based on the detected manipulation, and changes the information specifying the selection manipulation member in the performance data in accordance with the change.
According to this aspect, it is possible to continuously specify only the selection of the selection manipulation member. Therefore, in the case where only the manipulation timing of the timing manipulation member has been stipulated by the invention of the ninth and tenth aspects, the selection manipulation member need only be specified later by using this invention, enabling the desired performance data to be created.
A twelfth aspect of this invention comprises a computer-readable recording medium which stores performance data stipulating a series of manipulations of an input apparatus provided in a game system in correspondence with a predetermined musical piece, the performance data comprising information which specifies timings of manipulations relating to at least one timing manipulation member provided in the input apparatus, and information which specifies at least one selection manipulation member to be manipulated in correspondence with the manipulation of the timing manipulation member from a plurality of selection manipulation members provided in the input apparatus. The recording medium further stores a program which allows a computer provided in the game system to function as editing device for editing either one of the information specifying the manipulation timing of the performance data and the information specifying the selection manipulation member independently of the other based on a command supplied by a player via the input apparatus.
According to this aspect, the game system of the first aspect can be configured by allowing a computer to read and execute programs stored in the recording medium.
A thirteenth aspect of this invention comprises a computer-readable recording medium which stores performance data stipulating a series of manipulations of an input apparatus provided in a game system in correspondence with a predetermined musical piece, the performance data comprising information which specifies timings of manipulations relating to at least one timing manipulation member provided in the input apparatus, and information which specifies at least one selection manipulation member to be manipulated in correspondence with the manipulation of the timing manipulation member from a plurality of selection manipulation members provided in the input apparatus. The recording medium further stores a program which allows a computer provided in the game system to function as edit screen display device which displays an edit screen having a display range corresponding to part of the musical piece based on the performance data; scrolling device which continuously changes the relationship between the musical piece and the display range in response to a predetermined record start manipulation of the input apparatus so that the editing position in the edit screen continuously changes forwards or backwards with respect to the musical piece; and edit recording device which detects at least one part of the manipulations of the timing manipulation members and the plurality of selection manipulation members with respect to the input apparatus while the relationship between the musical piece and the display range is being changed by the scrolling device, displays a note mark corresponding to the detected manipulation in the edit screen, and changes the performance data so that the manipulation corresponding to the note mark is stipulated in the performance data.
According to this aspect, the game system of the eighth aspect can be configured by allowing a computer to read and execute programs stored in the recording medium.
In all the aspects, xe2x80x9ceditingxe2x80x9d is used to signify a concept including newly creating information and changing existing information. The manipulations of the selection manipulation members corresponding to the manipulations of the timing manipulation members may comprise simultaneous manipulations wherein the timing manipulation members are manipulated while the selection manipulation members are being manipulated, such as for example the manipulation of guitar frets and picking manipulation. The game system of the present invention may comprise device which reproduces a musical piece corresponding to a series of manipulations of the manipulation guide device as BGM in synchronism with the series of manipulations. The edit screen may comprise mutually parallel areas which correspond separately to the selection manipulation members; the note marks for showing the timing of the manipulations of the timing manipulation member are displayed in the areas corresponding to the selection manipulation members to be manipulated in correspondence with the manipulation of the timing manipulation member. A screen having the same constitution as the edit screen may be used for specifying manipulation in the manipulation guide device.